A Rat By Any Other Name

This forwarded-a-bit email made it into our inboxes a little while ago:

[T]here's a big strike going on here at NYU over the [graduate-student] union. No need to go into details, mostly because that's not the funny part. So they have this huge blow up rat in front of the library where people are picketing, something you have probably seen before if you have ever seen a labor union strike.

So yesterday I was walking through Washington Square Park and noticed another group of people picketing against the GA/NYU picketing. Weird, yes, but I figured they were against the issues at hand and didn't think much of it. But I went closer because I was curious to see who they were. Turns out they weren't picketing against the picketing on the basis of ethics or noise violations or anything like that. They were picketing against the use of a blow up rat as a negative symbol.

I'm not kidding, I couldn't make this up if I tried. There's this whole group of people who are pro-rats who work to try to change the image of rats (including changing their name to "Great pointed archer"). They gave my friend a t-shirt with a rat standing over a rainbow.

Here's their website, you have to check it out if you have time: http://www.greatpointedarchercom/.

Fascinating. I love this town.

We did check the site, and we think this thing is thoroughly tongue-in-cheek. Still, we very much like the idea of pro-rat picketers in Washington Square Park. And think how much less fun our days would be if NYU kids were obligated to, you know, do something productive instead.

Anyone have pix?

UPDATE: Ah. Apparently it's ad execs, not NYU kids, who have far too much free time on their hands.